


learn how to bend without the world caving in

by pendules



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-09
Updated: 2012-05-09
Packaged: 2017-11-05 01:59:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/401212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pendules/pseuds/pendules
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry and Louis coming out from Liam's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	learn how to bend without the world caving in

They don't argue a lot, and if they do, it's over silly things and resolved swiftly. Usually it's Liam's good sense or Louis' ability to make light of any situation that is a key factor to the peace that exists within One Direction. But sometimes, it's the two of them who clash and it's a lot less simple.

Because sometimes Louis's reckless and crazy and someone has to be a foil to that. Niall isn't really good with conflict that doesn't involve food, and Zayn doesn't like getting involved when it's not his business, and Harry's role is to love him unconditionally, no matter how much of a jerk he is. So it falls on Liam. And maybe he's kind of okay with that, because he knows how to deal with it. Their screaming matches get kind of intense sometimes, because they've always known just how to push each other's buttons. But, in the same way, they understand each other well enough - they understand that at the end of the day, they both just want what's best for each other and for the band - that they don't ever really last long either. They might be annoyed with each other for a while after, but it always dies down until they forget the initial argument altogether. They're both stubborn, they're both not great at showing their insecurities, but maybe they've always seen each other's anyway. And sometimes they have to use them against each other, but it's just how their relationship works. Sometimes that's the only way to restore the balance.

*

So, Louis is kind of a total douche to the ten-millionth fan who tweets him about the gay rumours that have been even more plentiful now that he and Eleanor have broken up and Harry hasn't been linked to some random girl in a whole three weeks. 

If he had more than one hundred and forty characters to work with before he rashly hit the 'tweet' button, Liam's pretty sure he would have actually come out. On twitter. To his five million followers and the whole world.

It's still really, really bad though. And management's probably going to tear him a new one. And Liam's going to end up somewhere in the middle of it, and it's going to get messy.

He starts with his usual, "You know I get it, I really do, but it's not just you in this. It's all of us."

Then he says, and maybe he shouldn't have, later he'll definitely want to take it back: "You're being selfish."

And then Louis pretty much explodes.

"Selfish? I'm being _selfish_? Well, that's fucking easy for you to say."

"Louis…don't -"

"No, _you_ don't. You don't get to be condescending. You, with your perfect fucking girlfriend and your perfect, _straight_ , wholesome image." 

He spits it out so bitterly Liam's taken aback. Maybe it's misdirected resentment but it still feels like a slap to the face. And maybe he deserves it, because yeah, it's always been easier for him, it's been easier just because of who he is. And it's not fair, it's really not fucking fair.

"I'm not being condescending. You know that. I wouldn't. I just want you to think about what you're doing. And if you're ready for the consequences."

"I'm not _doing_ anything. I just told some idiot to stop speculating about my personal life."

"You know it wasn't just that. It was defensive. And there'll be questions, lots of questions. Are you ready to answer them?"

Louis just looks at Harry at that, Harry who's looking so, so small on the couch, arms wrapped around his knees, head bent but anxiously looking up at Louis. And Liam knows he gets it. He gets that it's not about Liam worrying about management or what people will think; he's worrying about _them_. He knows that they'll support them no matter what. That this is about Louis and Harry and their decision. And if they're committed to it, the other boys will be too. But they have to go about it the right way this time.

And Jesus, Liam knows this is still so new to them, and they're not even sure what it is yet, but the world is constantly asking them to define it.

The phone rings then and they all know what it's about.

"You guys can go," Louis says soberly. "I'll deal with it. It's my mess, right?" He gives Liam a smile that's more of a grimace.

They clear out, Liam squeezing his shoulder, giving him as firm a nod as he can manage. Louis nods back, telling him, yeah, they're back on the same page now, they can't do this if they're divided.

When he's at the door, he realises Harry's still sitting in the same spot.

He sees him press himself close to Louis as he sits down and answers the phone. He tangles his hand together with Louis' free one in his lap.

He thinks maybe, just maybe, between them, they can deal with anything. They're pretty amazing apart, but together, together, they could be almost invincible.

Liam shuts the door.

*

They issue a statement. Louis apologises to the fans, says that's it's hard sometimes having his privacy invaded, that he doesn't want the details of his personal life to be all over the internet for public consumption, that he feels he has a right to protect whomever he's in a relationship with at any point in time from the scrutiny that his life entails. It's not a lie, not another cover-up. It's ambiguous, yeah, but it's the truth. The fans pretty much take it as confirmation. Most of them accept his apology, and he's bombarded less and less with questions and accusations over twitter. There are lots more supportive messages. He reads them all (usually with Harry's chin perched on his shoulder) but doesn't ever respond. Interviewers are told to steer clear of the topic. It's pretty safe ground, really, letting people believe what they want without outrightly confirming or denying anything.

It's an unspoken agreement that they'll do it for real in a while, when their relationship is more stable, when they're sure about what they want it to be.

*

It's still a bit strained between Liam and Louis for a while after. And it's different this time. It was definitely a lot more real than the usual stuff they argue about.

He comes back to his hotel room one night and finds Harry at the foot of his bed flicking through the TV channels.

"Hey. What's up?" Liam lowers himself onto the floor next to him.

"Nothing. Just wanted to be alone."

"Where's -"

"He and Niall have been playing FIFA for the last five hours," he says, rolling his eyes in that long-suffering way only someone who lives with Louis Tomlinson can.

They settle on some food programme.

"Remember that time Louis tried to make me cupcakes?"

"Yeah, Niall saw smoke coming out from under your door and called the fire service," Liam says, lips automatically quirking up into a nostalgic smile. It happened only a few weeks after they moved in, and he's pretty much heard the account from all parties involved no less than a hundred times.

"He fell asleep in the bathtub," Harry says incredulously and they both laugh for a long time at it.

They fall into silence for a while until Harry speaks again.

"He knows, you know."

"Knows what?"

"That you just did it 'cause you care about him. That you did it because I can't sometimes." And he's looking so sorry. Sorry that he can't deal with it all the time, that he's not as strong as he wants to be. That he can't always argue when he needs to or support him when Louis needs it.

"I care about both of you," Liam says, firmly. "And you love him. I think that's more than enough."

"I want to do it," he admits, softly. "I would've done it a long time ago. But you know Louis. He wouldn't do it on anyone's terms but his." 

"He'll realise soon," Liam says, and he's sure. "He'll realise that everything else doesn't matter."

*

Liam finds him on the balcony outside his and Harry's room.

"You're not taking up smoking, are you?" he jokes.

"Nah. I'm not moody and mysterious enough for it to be cool."

"Been a tad moody these days though," Liam says, shrugging apologetically.

"Yeah, it's not been a great few months, I guess," he admits. And they both know exactly when it started. It started after the ill-timed tweet, it started with the two of them, the way everything starts in this band, good or bad. The two of them can determine the entire mood of the band, and it's been off ever since that night, even with the fans' support and the new control they feel about the path they're going to take.

"I shouldn't have said any of that stuff. I was an asshole," Liam says regretfully.

"No, no, you were right. It should be simple, but it's not. And it's not your fault."

"Not yours either." Because he knows, he's seen it in Louis' face over the last few months, seen how guilty and conflicted he's been, knowing one wrong move could destroy everything they've worked for. He's taken it all on himself, and Liam doesn't want him to do that anymore. He just looks at him, trying to convey that, trying to tell him he's not alone in this. He never was, never will be.

"Maybe it's time," Louis says.

"Harry's ready," Liam says, because he has to, because Harry won't, he'd wait forever. He'd wait until after forever for Louis.

"I know," Louis says, and he smiles.

*

Pictures of them kissing outside a club in LA surface online a couple weeks later, and Liam witnesses the subsequent explosion firsthand. 

He knows they'll all emerge on the other side of it though, and they'll do it together, and that's all that matters.


End file.
